This gym has all the basics; no frills. The main floor has a good amount of cardio machines, as well as weight machines that are used for their circuit training class, but available to everyone when the class isn't in session. The basement has a fairly large weight room. Locker rooms are a bit dark and smell moldy... I try to avoid if I can. This gym is always slow and quiet when I go in the mid/late morning time. Mostly seniors and a few students... so a mellow, low-pressure gym environment which I very much appreciate! I rarely have to wait for a machine! Unfortunately they no longer offer childcare while you workout, which is a service I was hoping to utilize. read more

The staff and the bathrooms are atrocious. Stay far away. Months and months of clogged toilets. Filth and mold in the showers.

The split between ASU students and the general public is this Y's defining feature. It's fairly average in every other way. I find both the facilities and the staff adequate without being exceptional, except some of the workout class instructors, who are fantastic. I highly recommend Zumba and Grind classes- the most fun cardio you can possibly do. If you are easily intimidated by "gym people," come during the day or on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. Ladies, if you enjoy people watching at the gym, there are some good views on the ASU side. I sometimes wish the cardio machines faced the weights.... read more

My children are enrolled in the daycare program at this location. Let me tell you, I love the peace I have everyday by knowing the alertness, and caring people who help at this facility. They are so aware of the children and always treat them as they are their own. read more

Good place for workout, I wish the pool was repaired used to love swimming in that large pool.

10-01-24, Today, I was devastated. When I thought I went to my own personal gym? But I guess not. YMCA, when you say you practice 'Christian principles'? Is this just for the youth? I thought your membership was for the people who turned their lives over to the will of GOD? But, I guess not. What I can't believe is how you can deny me the port of entrance. With this being the first day of the new billing cycle in all.. Your membership wants to help out the community, and yet "I couldn't even get a promise to pay until Thursday, when my direct deposit arrives. It blew my mind when your staff said , " I couldn't use the gym," ‍until the bill was paid. After all this money I spent on your membership within the last year. "As, being what I thought as a valid customer? I felt betrayed. The cold thing about it was the staff who was working at the time knew who I was. To be honest, I felt hurt. My realization from all of this is "With or without your gym." I'm still going to thrive to be at my all-time best!!! Thank you for making me feel unwelcome in my own community.. read more

I have been going to the y since December and it has been one of the best experiences of my life. Originally I found going to a public space and working out really scary but I have felt nothing but comfort at the y. Everyone treats you with respect no matter who you are. I have been going for a few months and don't plan on cancelling or leaving. There has been many great times and many more to com. Like today I got a free shirt. read more

When I asked if I would get any of my membership fee back cause of the virus. They dodged my calls, I kept calling them and the women on the phone gave me attitude,. Then a month later they had the audacity to ask me to continue my membership. I then Cancelled my card connected to membership. Me:1 YMCA: 0 read more

Nice facility but not so nice for those who work & prefer to work out in the early a.m. It has been a persistent problem that no one is there to open at 5 a.m. (2-3x a week recently). This morning approximately 30 folks were there for their workouts and, by 5:30 a.m., they were standing outside or waiting in their cars. Most left, including me. Not much point in joining if you can't use the facility during posted hours. read more

When I first moved downtown a few years ago I'd regularly drive by and glance with curiosity at this decrepit old building on Van Buren. One day I heard it had gone through some "renovations," so my ghetto curiosity got the better of me and I made my way past a couple of bums standing around to walk inside. I couldn't believe my eyes. The beautiful, stained cement flooring grabbed my attention right off the bat. I asked the staff for a tour of the facility and I was instantly sold. Goodbye, LA Fitness, hello, YMCA. It's nice running into my downtown neighbors here now and then. Since ASU moved downtown the crowd has also transformed into a nice mix of young and old, everyone from college students to cranky old federal judges. read more

Lincoln Family Downtown YMCA - Gyms Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

DOWNTOWN PHOENIX YMCA Very clean and well-maintained facilities, Affordable rates, A friendly and professional staff, And an awesome sense of community within and without the Y. read more

See all

The staff will ignore you if they find out you are an ASU student. The partnership seems to be a joke. Thankfully, I don't enjoy working out on the YMCA side so I avoid them. The equipment is old and outdated. The building itself needs to be updated. It's hard for me to write this review because I used to enjoy the fitness classes (especially yoga) very much years ago as an undergraduate student. read more

Really enjoy the YMCA and the diversity of people that come down here very clean gymnasium workout area the staff is very friendly and helpful. You can end up playing for hours down here they have classes for yoga weight training basketball swimming lessons and spin class! read more

Lincoln Family Downtown YMCA - Gyms Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

See all

When calling this YMCA location you get a answering device which on most days is dysfunctional after navigating numerous prompts, which eventually disconnects you and you have to redial. If the phone system is working that day and you are able to leave a message, it is never returned. On a rare day that you get someone to actually answer the phone they give out the wrong information. Dysfunction, incompetence and stupidity is how this location operates. During Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's their schedule at the front desk had the wrong information. It stated they would be open when in actuality they were closed. Their Facebook and Twitter info is also flawed. It shows the pool is open. Lately, there have been unannounced pool closures due to lack of staff. They don't tell you at the front desk either or post any signs that the pool is closed. You have to change into your swim gear then head downstairs and find the door locked. How stupid is that? No communication from the Aquatics Director to the front desk staff. Speaking with the Facilities Director, named Wesley Robb, about facility issues gets you no where. He will listen but doesn't do anything to remedy the situation. I spoke to him recently about the door to the steam room not being able to close. Instead there is a rope that you have to pull to close the door. How TACKY is that! This rope at the door is clearly "Hee Haw", which reminds me how Mr. Robb's politics is so Duck Dynasty. Their billing system is also flawed as I have gone there for 3 years without paying a cent and I am not on their financial aid. I know several other members who have the same situation. Three years ago, this Y thought that with all the apartments going up in the area that the community would support them like they do at their Y suburb locations. As usual, upstairs management logic is flawed. The new apartments in the area all have fitness centers and don't need to support the Y. All in all, its about bad management who conducts numerous meetings upstairs but nothing ever gets done. The senior executives are all women with the exception of 2 men. I thought this was the YMCA not the YWCA. Rarely do you find a male employee in the building. Because of the neglect towards the facility and its anti-membership attitude, the men's membership rolls have fallen drastically in the last year. They emphasize kids a lot to get your money but you never see kids there. If you bring your kids, make sure you are with them at all times. Management doesn't care about its falling membership. read more

I love this gym! This is my favorite gym and YMCA! They have many locations but this particular gym offers amazing customer service. The daycare workers remember my sons names and they make them feel welcomed every time! It's not like that at every YMCA. But here they make sure to take care of the kids. There's many machines to pick from. A huge running track, basket ball court, Sauna,Pool, classes! It's very suitable for a family! If you're looking for a home gym seriously give YMCA a shot and you won't be let down. We're also a military family and they sure know how to make us feel welcomed no matter where we are stationed! read more

I found everyone from the front desk staff to the members to the gym staff to be really friendly. I liked this facility and worked out the whole week I was in town. You can get a pass for a week for $30. My experience with gyms today is don't expect to get a towel and make sure you bring your own lock. The machines on the ASU side are a lot nicer and being on the cardio machines there give you a nice look outside onto 1st Ave to people watch while you're working out. Looking forward to coming back here! read more

After 6 years as a member, my membership expired a couple of months ago and no one noticed at the Y. I guess that's ok, as the number of classes convenient to me keeps shrinking, the number of machines decreased, and the amount of space taken up for personal training/TRX machines makes the rest of the exercise rooms croweded. The gym downstairs is crowded and messy. I feel sad about this; this was "my Y" for years. I am going to look into the other fitness centers in downtown. I also feel sad as I love to support the Y. But this particular one is not up to standard. I hope this gets read, unlike the suggestions I put into the suggestion box over the last year. Mmmm...maybe the Y doesn't want me anymore. read more

I've never been much of a gym rat, so take this review with a dose of salt (which, along with sugar, is the only thing that motivates me to work out in the first place). I love food and drink, so exercising has really become my golden ticket to my personal Wonka factory, where I can consume as I please but still stay relatively trim. And when I first started really working out a few years ago, I quickly realized that the only way for me to be successful was to accept one of my other personal flaws (outside of gluttony): impatience. I can barely go a few minutes at a desk without wanting to do something or talk to someone, so expecting myself to diligently pound a treadmill for an hour at a time is a sure guarantee of failure. That's why I started to do kickboxing at Lee's Martial Arts in Laveen (see my review). The diversity of exercises, the pumping music and motivation of an instructor made it easy to stay engaged for the full hour required to really burn calories and get in shape. Given that, when we moved to Central Phoenix a few months ago, I wanted to find a new workout home where classes were a priority--and I didn't have to pay a fortune to get that in addition to basic gym privileges. With that as my criteria, the Y has been more than satisfactory. The cost (only $70 per month for two adults) is really reasonable, the instructors are motivating and seem genuinely happy to be teaching, the free weight room has tons of good equipment for any extra toning I want to do, the locker rooms are clean and the staff is all friendly and helpful. Plus, I can continue to do kickboxing with Marco (great instructor) every Monday and Wednesday at 5:30. I also really like that the facility is housed in an old building. In a city of strip malls and new construction, God knows we could use a little character. Of course, the Y has downsides (bad parking as others have mentioned, awkward layout, less-than-high-end showering facilities and sub-par food choices), but it's well worth the money, and my waistline, wallet and attention span are all the better since joining. read more

This Y is just great. Friendly, young staff, who are mostly volunteers, great mix of people, AWESOME machines, and just labyrinthian in design, which makes for great fun and added fitness (and totally Escher-esque at times... did I just go down the up-stairs?). Another kind of strange but cool thing about it is that I always have pleasantries with other gym goers, like, hello, goodbye, please, thank you, have a great day. It sounds average, but it's like the people that go there are on the same respectful, polite page. It's gym utopia. The only downsides are the small, 4 lane pool (but at least it HAS a pool) and the pain in the ass it is to get there because of light rail construction. Both of these are so marginal, though, so I give it a very solid 5 stars. read more

Reviewing the pool and men's locker room only nothing else; $10 for a day pass, sign the typical liability forms and you're in. The men's locker room is dated and not clearly marked, multiple doors leading to a steam room, pool access, who knows what else are poorly identified and hidden behind corners. For somebody that hasn't been in that locker room before trying to exit in a fire, with the power out for example, is going to be challenging. Eventually I had to ask for directions (How do you get to the pool, how do I get out of here?) people were friendly enough. The lap pool has four lanes designed for actual swimming (as opposed to an oversized bathtub for people to float around and soak in). The Y has nice energy absorbing lane lines and the wave mitigating gutters do their designed part cutting down wave turbulence. Every lane had one or two swimmers, mine had three (at one point) I hardly noticed anybody else's wake. That part of it was fine. Water temperature was perfect (for me), thank you! I had two issues; first of all there is a separate/unattached stair/step assembly cluttering up the west lane. If this is an ADA (Americans with Disability Act) accessibility issue then please make the investment and buy a chair designed for pool access. The movable stairs clutter up the end of the lane blocking off most of the wall creating a serious hazard if you're trying to flip turn off the wall. The distance I was wanted to cover today required 215 flip turns: every last one of them was a freaking hazard (crushed ankles). The side walls themselves are poorly marked, what's with that? The bottom of the pool has standard markings, the lane lines are properly color coded where are the crosses on the walls? The water was murky. Clearly identifying the wall lacking the standard wall identifying markings in murky water was harder than it should have been. That and the ankle busting porta-stairs monstrosity detracts from what should have been a great, and REPEAT business, experience. The last issue was with the posted times. I got in the pool with an idea of how long the pool was going to be open.. The on deck lifeguard cleared the pool early. It's a small thing but I ended up short of my distance goal today and would have appreciated the guard "working" the extra six minutes to the published closing time (otherwise change the published information to reflect your actual practice). Besides your pool was pretty full when you closed it down. Tell me why you shut down an active pool on a weekday between 1PM - 3 PM anyway? The rest of the facility stays open. read more

I worked out at this gym for a little under a year between April 2012 to March 2013. I had recently moved to Phoenix from the Chicago-area and had been a member at my local Y in Illinois for 5+ years. I'm not sure if my Illinois-based YMCA is just super nice and I had become spoiled, or what the deal is, but I found this Y disappointing. I went in for a tour and membership info when I first arrived in Phoenix. The membership fee was around $50/month, which I found outrageous for the shape this place is in. It's older (though apparently recently renovated?), small exercise rooms, and a maze of floors/hallways/stairs. I knew after touring the place I couldn't justify the price. I later found out that the Ys in the Valley participate in the fitness program through my medical insurance, which is $25/month -- that is the ONLY reason I decided to join. I signed up for my insurance fitness program, and presented the information to the Y. That, in and of itself, was a nightmare. I won't go into that in this review, though, since I joined at the Christown YMCA, and it wouldn't be fair to blame the downtown location for their issues. Back to my review of the downtown location. When I first started coming regularly, their water machine was broken. Two weeks later, it was still out of order, and I have no idea how long it was not functioning before I joined. I generally take group exercise classes at the gym, and this location offers a decent variety. Which brings me to my next issue -- the instructors. The ones I've had are generally OK, though I don't think the kickboxing class is nearly the great workout that everyone seems to think. However, I will say that on one memorable occasion when I arrived to take a Spin class, I asked the instructor (politely) if we could please turn on the fans in the cycle room since it is tiny, has no air flow, and gets HOT as Hades. He replied, "I don't use fans in my class." Wow. I have never experienced such rudeness/arrogance from a class instructor anywhere previously or since. I really love supporting YMCAs and helping the community, but I don't think I could justify the cost of this one in exchange for the facilities & service. read more

I've been a member of this YMCA since I was 8yrs old. Back in the day, a light blue conversion van would pull up to the neighborhood stop where a group of me and my friends were waiting eagerly to be collected and it would bus us to the downtown Y. You see back then we didn't know we were poor and we certainly didn't know we were part of a program to keep at-risk kids off the streets and out of gangs. We just knew we would get a free breakfast, free lunch, possibly a nap on a cool mat and a full day of Foosball, bumberball, checkers, indoor volleyball and god's eye craft time. Those sure were some fun times! Fast forward thirty years and I am still a member, this time a paying member. Not much has changed about the Y. They still have programs for the kinds, the elderly, the homeless and they have a great work out facility with some awesome group exercise programs. I've been taking Marco's cardio kickboxing class for a couple of years and he is a great instructor. I could barely make it through half his class when I first started but I stuck with it and picked up some great shadow boxing moves and I now have endurance to sustain for a full hour of swinging, kicking and bending. I think He's kind of a rock star but I won't tell him that. Most recently I've taken up Zumba and I have to admit, I made fun of it at first. From the outside looking in, it looks silly, however, I gave it a try for two weeks and I am hooked. It's been two months now and I've dropped eight extra pounds by adding Zumba to my cardio workout. Yes people, I am hip-hopping, samba-ing, mambo cha cha-ing my way to fit and I don't care how silly it looks. I feel great! I've got my eye on an early morning yoga class, that trial period starts next week. With all my time in the gym and in group exercise classes I guess the overall at-risk program has proven successful. It's keeping me out of the bars (at least on weeknights) and off the streets . Yay-Y! read more

So much crazy stuff happens here, I can't even explain it. The locker room is a cloud of Old Spice musk, and whenever little kids are running around, it's bare-ass naked mayhem. They revamped the main gym and the locker rooms a while back, and the equipment is really great. The machines are maintained well, and even when it's packed there's not much of a wait. I'm not here to focus on that. The best part is the basement, chock full of all the old equipment. The legit lifters gather down here, and it's just like you'd imagine -- meatheaded, sweaty and lots of crashing steel. The word "bitch" is shouted so often (not as in "son of a bitch, I can't believe I got through that set of chest presses;" more like, "don't be a little bitch, finish your set") that you're in the majority if you don't say it more than once per set. The lobby café is truly great, but severely underutilized. I rarely see anyone hanging out there, and I've never seen the attendant making any drinks or serving any food. The best time to visit is when they're giving away free fruit or granola bars -- all the starving ASU kids and bums from the park flood in here like they're giving away gold. read more

Ok I just got back from the gym and decided that after writing my tepid review, I would do some further investigation just to make sure that I really knew what I was talking about. It turns out, I didn't. I checked in with the desk staff and asked them to tell me about all of the services available there. They have so much going on - cardio room, weight room, full locker room with steamroom, hot sauna, showers, swimming pool, outdoor track, and classes. I like this place. Upgrade from 3 to 4 stars takes effect NOW. read more

I've got two names for you: TYLER & MARCO - - superstar instructors at the Y!!! I've been an avid gym member at various gyms for years and I have to say, the YMCA downtown can't be beat for the 8-5 p.m. work schedule person who likes to attend the gym during lunch or right after work. I'm all about the group exercise classes and this Y offers an array of classes such as spin, kickboxing, Zumba, Yogalates, Boot camp, water aerobics, Hatha Yoga, etc., etc. Back to my fav instructors: Tyler and Marco. Boy, do these boys kick my ass every time I take their classes! Tyler teaches spin and offers not only strong knowledge and great tips on making your spin experience the best that it can be, he has a kick-ass playlist of music to motivate his class. Marco is a very intense and interactive kickboxing instructor who keeps pushing you with great music mixes to keep his class sweating the weight and stress away. Thank you Tyler and Marco for making my workouts intense and fun! After years of going to different aerobic classes, I'm FINALLY seeing the results!! P.S. You can't beat the staff that works there. Erica who manages all the group exercise instructor welcomes any suggestions or comments with a smile. Freddie at the front desk is also very helpful and sweet. read more

Love me some Y action! The downtown Y has everything you could ever possibly want in a gym: tons of cardio machines, a separate weight room, a pool, the "trendy" fitness equipment (like TRX and heavy ropes), personal trainers, lots of classes, cold/hot filtered water, even a cafe. They could use a couple more stair-masters though. ;) Bonus: The staff here are super cute. Especially Vince. ;) read more

4-5 stars for the pool, staff. 1-2 stars for the stoopid layout and hell/sauna-like conditions of the cardio equipment room. The good: Pool is nice, the staff and instructors I've encountered are super. Friends rave about the instuctors of their classes. The bad: PLEASE bring in two BIG fans into the cardio equipment room. That room is like asking for flu and tuberculosis. Anyway, see you at Christown. read more

Earth! Wind! Fire! Water! Heart! By these acronyms combined, this is YMCA-ASU. I visited this facility to get my pump on, and was genuinely surprised with the size of this darn gym. One of the benefits of working out in the desert is that the air conditioning will always work. If the air conditioning breaks, the building shuts down, so you never need to worry about sweating through your workout. You will either sweat it out in the mean streets of Phoenix, or not work out at all. I used the ASU side to do my lifts. The space is large, and decorative, but the actual free weight area is no bigger than other gyms i have been to. They have a number of dance studios, I am sorry, "movement labs", on the second floor, and a huge basketball court upstairs. It is truly desert sprawl at its finest. This may be normal, maybe not, but i was also able to freely cross over to the YMCA side of the facility too. I had an unusual amount of free time, so i decided to take a decent tour of this superbuilding. I was able to find the racket ball courts, four of them. The basket ball courts were slightly smaller than the ASU side, and much less decorative. I got lost a few times, and nearly gave up on finding the other rooms i expected the gym to have, but no! I was not in the mood for some fantastic voyage, roaming the air conditioned halls of the fusion of two organizations, but if Odysseus could roam the Mediterranean for ten years, i could find the swimming pool. I broke down, and asked at the front desk. I finally found it in the basement, and also one of the largest weight rooms i have ever seen at a YMCA, much bigger, and grittier than the ASU side. Either gym alone would be OK, but shared access between the two ensures that you will always be able to find a station, always get your lift on, and mingle with both the future leaders of America, and the Phoenix community members. read more

I like it! The Downtown Y does double duty. One can exercise in the older Y section or head on over to the Sun Devil Fitness Center. The Sun Devil side has cardio machines with one's own personal TV! The weight room is much better on the older Y side. Price: Very decent. I do get a discount with my work. Hours: Excellent, 5 am open time on weekdays, on weekends 7 am Sat and 9 am Sunday. Parking: Free with sticker. Location: Less than a mile from where I live. I save so much gas from not having to drive to a gym now! Group exercise classes: In the older part of the Y, these can be confusing to find. The cycle room is on the third floor, as you maze your way up the stairs passed other areas of the gym that often seem deserted. Cycle is a lot of fun. I think instructors should introduce themselves to new people, though. Facility: there are plenty of cardio machines. I like that there are four rowing machines and a variety of others. The weight room in the older part of the Y is huge and has excellent equipment. Watch out for posers down here, ha! There are lockers, showers, bathroom, and an indoor pool. Staff: Most staff are friendly. read more

ASU students get free membership at the Y...challah! just had to because i'm jewish. and don't in any way support christianity, but am more than willing to indulge in a free membership to their gym on ASU's dime... the gym is your typical gym. nothing special. they have a nice amount of equipment and they keep the place clean. the staff is really friendly. they have a coffee/snack bar up front which i've never tried. i've never done any of their classes either, or used anything besides the gym equipment. but i looked around the place, they have a pool, handball courts, basketball court, and a track that goes outside and then comes back in which is pretty dope. on my self guided tour i somehow ended up in the apartment area where they house all of the homeless people. kind of scary, and really creepy. but they don't work out in the gym. it's mostly a bunch of asu kids and downtowners. nobody is staring you down cuz you're unfit or you're not lifting enough. i like that. so if you don't mind your occasional random bum pokin at you for change for booze, check out the y. read more

Non pretentious place and not overly crowded for this location which I love since I knock out my work out for the day during my lunch. prices are reasonable and lockers are only $7 a month if you need one. Lots of equipment, machines and classes to choose from. Oh, and towels are complimentary also. I like the foam bath wash in the showers also :) read more

It's fun to stay at the - Y - M - C - A !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Come on, you know you want to sing it in your head every time you see it. At least do the little motions with your fingers. How could you not? Well, this is one of the locations where folks actually DO stay at the YMCA. While most Y's have moved into just watching your kids, offering some classes and functioning as a gym - this one has a full residential area as it's the oldest YMCA in the valley. One especially interesting note - this YMCA had the first indoor, completely enclosed pool in the entire State. How's that for cool? Want to know something even cooler?? It's NOT on the first floor!!! As I don't have kids, and I have my own happy little casa, for me this is just a place to work out. They really have an amazing gym. And it's not just one room - there are several rooms on several floors. And if you're a member there aren't any extra costs associated with taking any of the other fun fitness classes either. They offer some pretty cool ones too. Personal favorite - and I almost hate to mention it. They have an outdoor running track. But it's not on the ground. It's a "roof top track" that actually extends out from their lower roof line. So based on when you go you can be watching the sunrise, the sunset or the awesome city lights of downtown as you walk or run around the track. Pretty darn awesome. read more

I just freaking love this place, although I was skeptical! It's sparkling clean, never too crowded, it's cheap, huge locker room, the employees and patrons alike are amazingly polite, and the people watching is good. The treadmills have TVs and iPod hookups. Nothing makes an hour go by faster than two back to back reruns of the Rachel Zoe show. Yes, for real. Minus one half star for their shitty parking lot and the assholes who stalk you and maneuver to get the closest spot (hi, you're about to go inside to EXERCISE...? Would it kill you to walk fifteen feet more?), and minus one half star for the creepy Bible references sprinkled about. read more

Overall, The Y is probably closer to a 3.5 than a 4 but I couldn't justify giving it a 3. There are a lot of factors to consider and chances are, if you're only interested in the stand-alone gym, I would encourage you to check out the nearby Gold's Gym. If you want to support a nonprofit that focuses on community development and/or are a Downtown Campus ASU student, however, this is the place for you! The Pros: - Great location for those who live or work near Downtown Phoenix - Clean, ample parking, friendly staff - Lots of free classes, pool, racket ball, all expected gym equipment - Free for ASU students at Downtown Campus - Free child care for those who need it - Focus on community, children's programs, summer camp, temporary housing, etc. - New renovations being completed to expand Cons: - More expensive than you would expect, around $46/month for individual membership with a $100 start-up fee that may or may not be waived (as of mid-2011, may have gone up) - If you have the free ASU membership, it doesn't cover Winter and Summer Session which means you may have to pay during those times around $25 a month - Limited holiday hours and several closures on holidays Hope this helps! Give The Y a try! read more

Staff are warm and inviting (edit), even if you're having a bad day - they (from my own experiences , all employees) still accept you (aggressive face and all) as a decent person. Pretty clean floors, some nice carpeting, acid stained and quad clear coat floor that stands out in the modern lightning scheme. The basketball courts, are well lit and the lightning there doesn't confuse the eye when sun shines through nor during night and all lightning (B-ball courts) are utilized. Even the restrooms located in the far reaches of the facility are well kept and stocked ( being on a protein rich diet with lots of water testifies to this most uncomfortable admition .) Most of the YMCA side stairways are cement and are decorated with the beautiful warm (but not hot) aesthetic of the acid stain two tone 2 color scheme with diamond blade etched joint lines midnight black- all stairwells except the pool which has to remain with texture for obvious reasons. The pool is very mild, never cold , the steam room is a plus , sometimes eucalyptus oil is profound in the air within the mens locker room. Sauna is tidy, whirlpool is never oversaturated with chemicals , but still has the right amount, by the smell I get from off gassing of the surface foam. The basement portion of the gym is not just for extreme power lifters or jocks, there are skinny guys and toned women who show up in the basement workout rooms. Mostly people are wearing earphones to drown out the people around them, and there's a classic rock station playing tunes through the day in this basement area of the gym. It's a large area that is just as big as some gyms are in there whole entirety (square footage wise). This is not a 'ghetto' facility, never has been, never will be. In the early 80's parts of downtown Phoenix were considered skid row, and these homeless people who were sometimes junkies and winos would migrate through downtown during the blazing hot temperatures. The architecture of the building is a post modern addition attached to a pre existing treasure of a brick foretress- maybe 15 stories high including the resident floors. The gym itself occupies 4 floors, which included a veranda/indoor enclosed patio / indoor jogging track which has a low impact foot/ knee friendly surface encircling the track. I (opinions are only opinions) believe that this gym did a great job with ASU in the remodeling of the building (including the addition of ASU's portion) which blends with the red brick flawlessly and pleasingly. Sometimes architecture that blends early 1900's buildings with post 90's modern architecture have a certain Jeckyl and Hyde scheme going on. This YMCA definitely shows what can be done in redesign incorporating energy-efficient All of the machinery are well kept and policies of clothing followed through otherwise bad things happen to upholstered surfaces. One thing that keeps me there on a sense of mental fulfillment is that my 30 or so bucks a month doesn't go to some huge corporate pocket. The money going into the YMCA effects the entire community. Not in the sense of communism (we all know communism is over and Asian capitalism is what's up and comming , regardless of party affiliation) , but , the community around the YMCA will be positively impacted. read more

I was just informed that their ASU partnership does not apply to students during winter break. They are not allowed entry unless they are enrolled at that point in time. Despite paying $1700 in out-of-pocket University fees, I will have to wait until January to do my workouts in the morning. In addition, the staff is not as friendly towards student guests as they are to their "paying" customers. Upon my 1st visit, I was not offered a towel or any information on the facility. The Y may provide great benefits to the community, but this location has a very poor service model for a reputable nonprofit. read more

Updated review: The ASU side of the Y is open now, Y members can use the ASU side and can attend certain classes as well. The ASU students are not supposed to be attending Y classes but they do and no one regulates so why would they stop? Parking is better now that construction is over- but no more covered spaces! the parking lot is allegedly patrolled but certain cars (aka old, ghetto, gold Nissan Altima) park in illegal parking spaces every weekday from 5pm and 6pm and I have never seen them receive a ticket (or park in a legal parking space like everyone else). The front desk is still subpar and lackluster. I get it- your job is lame and that's too bad, but you chose to work in customer service. If you don't like it, go work somewhere else. I usually walk in without anyone acknowledging me and I leave the same way- this is excellent for retaining members (note my excessive sarcasm here). The group exercise classes could certainly be improved but don't wait around for that - the group fitness director doesn't seem to care what members like... She recently hired an instructor to teach kickboxing during a very busy time- and the instructor has never taught kickboxing before. The class is terrible- skip it- stick with RIPPED on Mondays with Jaime. This is by far the best group ex class the Y offers. Do indulge in personal training with Eric- you won't regret the investment in yourself!! The only reasons I continue spending $45/month for a Y membership is because of Jaime and Eric. The $19/month at Gold's Gym is looking better and better each day... read more

Considering this is the only gym I've ever been in, it's great! They have updated equipment and lots of them. I usually go during one of the busy times and can always get on a machine, or do the things I want to. Plus they have classes which are good. And every time me & my boyfriend walk in & out of the Y, a nice gal at the food counter greets us and says goodbye. We still never order anything, though... They lose a star though because I HATE WORKING OUT! Sigh... read more

I have been trying to relocate from my home gym into something a bit more traditional. I checked out this facility, and while it was not amazing, it wasn't bad either. I think I want something a little more up-to-date and modern. Not bad, but not my home gym! read more

The YMCA downtown is in the heart of Phoenix. It is a pretty massive facility with 3 stories and you kind of find yourself in a maze to find the basketball court, downstairs weight room, outdoor track... The place is always clean and there is plenty of cardio and weight machines so you don't usually have to wait. The staff is pretty friendly, I would say they don't go out of their way to make you feel welcome, but they do smile and greet you upon arrival. My issue with this place is the childcare, I have actually complained that the staff is not regular and seems to just be teenagers that also double as lifeguards, sometimes in a YMCA shirt, sometimes not. I would say since I complained I have seen a much more efficient check in system and more consistent volunteers. I do appreciate they have a glass wall that looks into the gym so you can also keep an eye on you little ones. They have improved, but should take notes from the Christown YMCA as their child watch is still leaps above the downtown one. Overall a good gym for downtown phx and the large parking lot is also a huge bonus since free parking downtown is hard to come by! read more